In Kaua’i, a Hawaiian island renowned for its lush landscapes and diverse culinary offerings, Aloha Ginger Beer has established its niche in the beverage market by crafting ginger soda that not only quenches the thirst but also embodies the distinct flavors of the locale. Spearheaded by Casey Paul, the brand employs locally sourced ingredients, including the ginger, lemons, organic cane sugar, and honey from Anahola, to concoct its non-alcoholic ginger beer. Casey Paul shared that the inception of the brand was born out of a desire to create “an added value product with something that was grown year-round” after moving to the island. The focus, as illuminated in a televised segment on Kauai TV, firmly anchors on utilizing “all Kauai ginger” and amalgamating “different fruits and teas” to formulate varied flavors of ginger beer.
The classic ginger beer, as detailed by Paul, is forged with a meticulous blend of the aforementioned ingredients and serves as the fundamental base for their range of offerings. Their lineup of flavors is not merely static but ventures into diverse taste profiles through collaborations and experiments with other local entities and ingredients. For instance, the Lilikoi variant, heralded as “probably our most popular,” is developed in collaboration with Anahola Lilikoi, intermingling the “sweet sourness of the Lilikoi fruit” with the “spice of the ginger.”
Not only does Aloha Ginger Beer delve into crafting beverages, but it also embeds itself into the community and local economy by ensuring its ingredients are as locally sourced and in-season as possible. A particularly novel creation is the Cacao Ginger Beer, which melds their classic base with Sol Remedies Holy Cacao. The local cacao, described by the host, Amanda Smith, as delivering a flavor “right at the end” without overshadowing the delicate essence of ginger, exemplifies the brand’s innovative spirit in crafting distinct beverages while also fostering local collaborations.
Aloha Ginger Beer extends its utility beyond straightforward consumption into the world of mixology. Even though it’s a non-alcoholic beverage, Paul acknowledged its popularity as a base for cocktails such as Moscow Mules and Dark ‘n’ Stormies. Furthermore, while their product garners attention, so does their approach to availability and distribution, providing their ginger beer to “different restaurants around the island” and ensuring accessibility for “private parties” as well.
Amid the bottles and kegs of ginger beer, Aloha Ginger Beer, situated in downtown Lihue, also extends its space to house “Hawaiian goods that are handmade,” thus not only serving as a purveyor of distinct local beverages but also as a platform for local artisans to showcase their crafts to both inhabitants and visitors alike.
The narrative woven by Aloha Ginger Beer, from its commitment to utilizing and elevating local ingredients to its innovative approaches in flavor crafting and community engagement, remains a testament to the multifaceted culinary and entrepreneurial spirit found amidst the verdant landscapes of Kaua’i. While the brand continues to innovate, it adheres to a core philosophy that is vividly Kaua’ian in essence, preserving and presenting the island’s flavors one bottle at a time, without necessarily veering into overt promotional territory but rather allowing the products to speak, or perhaps more aptly, to flavorfully whisper, for themselves.